Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Hope Found A Way Out

I was born to a single mother. She was in and out of marriages when I was younger but she did the best she could due to her circumstances. When I was 6 years old, my mother’s husband began to sexually abuse me and this continued on for 3 years. When I finally got brave enough to say something, my mother pressed charges. He pled guilty, and was given a year in jail with work release. Needless to say I had major issues with authority figures from an early age.

When I was 12 years old, I visited a church with a friend of mine and it was then that I prayed to receive Christ. However, in the years that followed I went far from what I knew to be right and true. At the age of 13, I began using drugs. This made all of the pain I experienced go away for a little while. At the age of 17, I began dancing in the topless bars and became very comfortable with that lifestyle. I was arrested the first time at the age of 18, but that didn't stop my out of control lifestyle. At 20, I became pregnant with my little girl. It is only by the grace of God that she was born healthy because I continued to use drugs throughout my pregnancy. When she was 3 months old I was arrested again and this time the charges were much worse.

I went to prison when Hayle’ was 1 and as soon as I got out, I picked up where I left off. The only difference was that this time I had a pimp. Just when I thought I couldn't do worse, I did! I finally realized I needed help so I called a treatment center here in Memphis and have been in Memphis ever since. Now I could write a book on all the bad things I've done, but I would much rather tell you about what God has done since I gave my control of my life over to Him.

When it was close to time for me to leave the treatment center, I told my counselor that I wasn’t ready to be on my own. She called a long-term residential treatment center. When I interviewed with Moriah House, they told me about The A Way Out Program. I came in a very broken person, but the AWO Director, Carol got me into extensive personal counseling and parenting counseling. I have graduated cosmetology school and am moving forward with my career in hair. The program helped me with all expenses and needs during school and praise God for that. I was given a car from an anonymous donor and it really blessed me and Hayle both. I am a member of Community Bible Church. That is where I met my dear husband. We will be married for a year July 11th. I walked down the aisle to "I have decided to follow Jesus"! Everyone who knew not only my story but my husbands as well cried. I have graduated this wonderful program and now serve as a teacher of Celebrate Recovery for AWO. It has been an honor to have been with such a wonderful program and praise God a door opened for me to still be plugged in. Thanks for taking the tome to read my story. I hope you were as blessed as I am for sharing it.

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